Frank Smith – December 26, 2024
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Thursday, December 26, 2024
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith
(On the right guard thing, was the thinking with you and Offensive Line Coach Butch Barry and Head Coach Mike McDaniel that you’d eventually like to settle on one guy? Or do you like the idea of potentially the rest of the way of the platoon?) – “I think that it was a solution towards getting Isaiah (Wynn) involved. Liam (Eichenberg) has been working through some stuff, so the ability to get guys fresher through the course of the game. We think it boded pretty well, and each week, we’ll evaluate what’s best for the opponent to put our guys in the best position possible. Yeah, we were very pleased with how it worked out last week.”
(On the pass that QB Tua Tagovailoa throws to WR Tyreek Hill in the end zone and it’s tipped, Tua took a hit on that. Are you at the stage where you still will notice that and wonder and cross your fingers? Or are you kind of past that as far as Tua and a possible injury?) – “I think it’s more of when you’re going into any game, you’re always trying to minimize contact to the quarterback through your pass protection systems. So I think ultimately, we’re always evaluating how the pockets going, how we’re able to protect and trying to choose the right schemes to attack through that approach. I think the line did a great job pass protecting and Tua (Tagovailoa) delivering the ball and the skills being in the right spots. I think ultimately our goal is to make sure that we protect the quarterback and use our skill to understand concepts, launch points and everything so we make sure we can keep it successful.”
(Should WR Tyreek Hill have caught that pass?) – “Well, it’s one of those things where it got tipped at the last second so when those things happen, it’s like your vision gets changed. So I know the competitor in him wants the op again and I know the stuff he’s going to be working on this week to get better at.”
(Staying with WR Tyreek Hill, we know he’s a great troll. Is there any chance at the end of the season that the left wrist thing – he tweets, ‘ah, got y’all again’ – or is this legit, and I know he’s been treated for it, he’s been on the injury report, but is this a troll job? Someone who seeks attention, social media, messes with people on social media.) – “Tyreek (Hill) has been awesome working through the pain that it involves, and it’s hard when you’re trying to catch the ball and do all the things. So I think him working through it and making sure we’re connecting on the same page with timing and all that is going to be, obviously, the utmost importance this week.”
(It’s always harder for an offense to operate on the road for various reasons. How has the road operation been overall throughout the season?) – “Well, I think earlier in the year it was something that we wanted to improve on. In the short week, it was an area that we knew we could have improved on. I think that’s just always your goal when you’re moving like we do to try and create leverage on the defense is to make sure that we’re operating together, having the balance of things where you’re trying to get a premier look and making sure you have plays that you can get lined up fast and be able to attack. So I think there’s times this seasons that we think that we could have been better, and the good thing is we got this chance this week to go up there and really improve upon things that we would like to be able to do over again, and that’s what each game provides.”
(There might be some cold rain over there. Do you have to prepare wet ball drills and things like that?) – “Yeah, we go through the process to get ready for that. It’s one thing – I’ve been up to Cleveland three times and each three times it was different weather. With it being right on the lake, I think in COVID in 2020 when I was with the Raiders, it was sunny, it snowed, it sleeted and it rained all in the same game. But yes, we work all of our preparations for the weather, depending on what it is but it’s Cleveland, you never know.”
(I know that General Manager Chris Grier and Associate Head Coach/Running Backs Coach Eric and the scouts and everyone had an appreciation for RB De’Von Achane’s hands and receiving ability coming in. But was there a moment with you and Head Coach Mike McDaniel and Eric in meetings the last couple of years, or even on the practice field, where you said to yourselves, “this guy’s ability as a receiver, his hands are special. We want to utilize that even more?” Any perspective on how good he is on that, that you could share?) – “I think it started with his college tape, like at (Texas) A&M, you could see his ability to play the ball in the air. Necessarily sometimes in college, there’s different things they’re trying to do and they use their backs different ways, but you could see it on his college tape – ball is in the air and his ability to track it, running vertical routes, and that’s not easy, especially coming out of the backfield with the different things they had him do. So we knew that coming in that was going to be something that he could do well, and credit to him working his tail off to make sure he’s been ready on the multitude of things we could ask him to do. I think it just plays to how dynamic of a back he is and all the different things he can do.”
(How much sleep have you lost this week trying to think of protections for Myles Garrett?) – “Well, the gauntlet of the last couple weeks hasn’t been necessarily easy for us with all the rushers we’ve had to do. I think he’s a special player, a high-end guy that you always have to be mindful of and it’ll be a good challenge for us. I would say the last month has been kind of tiring from that standpoint and that’s on the whole season. But yeah, we have respect for his game, and we’ll have to be ready for him.”
(Might he get the Maxx Crosby treatment?) – “There’s a multitude of things that we’ll have to do because with him, he’s very talented guy. I think that the different variables that we’ll have to do – when you have an elite guy to that level, you can’t just do one thing. You have to do a multitude of things. So he gets high level treatment like (Nick) Bosa and like Maxx (Crosby) did and like other guys we’ve faced this last month.”
(How would you describe the matchup of going up against a Jim Schwartz coached defense?) – “Well coached, do a bunch of schematic overlaps. They try and have a lot of disguise to what they do. They play hard, physical. You can tell it’s a well-coached group, and it’ll be a good opportunity for us to go on the road and to be ready to be on our details because they are going to be aggressive to the ball and play hard to the end.”
(How did OL Isaiah Wynn do?) – “Did well. I mean the run we had at the end; he was able to really block the three(-technique) and shut it down. I think he did a great job in his first opportunity back, and he’s an energy guy. I mean he loves ball, so to have him back was awesome. It’s just another element to the room of a guy that just is all ball and loves playing hard.”
Danny Crossman – December 26, 2024
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Thursday, December 26, 2024
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman
(The process for determining how far K Jason Sanders can kick pregame, can you walk me through that? Is it after he kicks, you talk to him and you decide which direction and how far he can go each way?) – “Well, he’s got his pregame sequence that we worked through and established years ago and there’s going to be some games based on elements that we may tweak that slightly, but it’s going to be just a lot of communication on what we’re doing, what we’re thinking. Whether it be wind, whether it be cold, whether it be field conditions – there’s some stadiums where one end may be better than the other. So we’ll talk through all of that pregame and then again right before the game starts because even some of those games where you think it’s ‘A,’ and then you come out 45 minutes later and some things can change, whether it be, especially, with wind and/or rain, and then you tweak it. It’s just having a great line of open communication.”
(How does rain affect a kick? Obviously, the ball is going to be wet, but does it not carry as far?) – “Very minimal. Unless it’s a downpour, very minimal. But then you tie that into the operation of the snap and the hold, that’s where it gets a little bit – not as much as the kick, but the snap and the hold with the wet ball is a little bit more of an issue.”
(Can you just detail the run that K Jason Sanders has been on making all of these consecutive field goals and having the performance he just had for AFC Special Teams Player of the Week?) – “Just in a good spot, both physically and mentally. And like we’ve talked about in here, when he hits a bad ball, he doesn’t let it affect him. We talk about the mental aspect in a lot of different ways; the mental aspect can be if you miss one, you start overanalyzing technique. You start overthinking what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. So there’s a lot of – when we say mental – there’s more to it than just where your space is. But Jason (Sanders) doesn’t let things bother him, which I think is one of his strongest traits that if he doesn’t hit a good ball, he doesn’t think about it, doesn’t dwell on it, he’s not going to overreact to that. So again, he’s in a good spot right now. The operation has been good; Jake (Bailey) has been outstanding holding with our multitude of snappers. So really good space, but we’ve got a lot more work to do.”
(TE Julian Hill had a tackle on a punt return where he gets the guy’s shoulder and brings him down. How has he done on special teams? He seems like a – we know he’s physical – very athletic, he runs well. How has he done on special teams?) – “He’s done very well. That’s one of our great finds here with our personnel department and our development. As coaches, they’ve done a really good job with Julian (Hill), and he just keeps getting better and better. The more that he keeps playing on offense, it’s hard, but he keeps grinding and he wants to be involved in the kicking game and does a very good job for us.”
(It looks like kickoff return touchdowns have gone from two to four to six this year. What have we learned now that the season is almost over about the new rule and how that’s impacted the number of returns, the average and the touchdown rate?) – “I think the biggest thing with this set up is one error can really lead to a big play for the return team and a really negative play for the coverage team, because based on where the intent of that return goes, there’s a portion of the field where some players are that they get lost. Where regardless of what happens, they really have a hard time being impactful in the play because there’s no time. Whereas with the space of covering down the field, there was more time and availability and vision for some guys on i.e. the back side maybe of coverage where they can find themselves involved in the play. Now, it happens so quickly that you get one guy fits outside, one guy fits inside on a vertical return where that guy doesn’t have to make any kind of movement, your backside players are really having a hard time getting there to be a factor in the play. So I think there’s some things maybe that can be tweaked, but I think it’s going to be, when it does, I think it’s going to be really good for the game going forward.”
(Speaking of return touchdowns, I think the Browns have given up one on kickoff and on punt. What have you seen on those plays?) – “Again, the kickoff return was a fit deal – one guy stuck, guy tried to get over the top and sort of got passed off on a double team and Cincinnati made a good play. But they’re a good group. They were really, really good a year ago; they’re still good this year. Again, one or two plays, that’s where things get tilted. You give up a play or two and your numbers get skewed, but they’re a good group. They’re well coached and they’re playing well, but those plays obviously, are monster plays. You’re looking for them, you can’t give them up but you can play very, very well for 80 plays and you give up one of those and it’s a back breaker.”
(I want to ask you just about K Jason Sanders’ headspace and mentality. Just getting to know him over the last five or six years here, it seems like nothing really bothers him. We’ve seen him have some highs and lows, but it seems like he’s always in that same plane. So I’m curious if you could help describe how valuable that is as a kicker and also, when did you recognize that in him with kind of that steady mentality that he has?) – “As we said, he does a great job of moving on. It’s the next, it’s not the past and you could see that for me, right when I started working with him six years ago. He wouldn’t – he’s willing to trying anything. You talk technique and ‘tweak this’ and ‘what about this’ and ‘why don’t we try this?’ He’s willing to try everything and exhaust it, and then very concise and clear on what he likes and what he doesn’t like. But as I said most importantly whether he hits a great ball or hits a poor ball, he’s able to move onto the next one. If anything ever gets into a rhythm where it is a consistent maybe fade or draw, understands from jump street, don’t tweak what I’m doing. There’s other ways we can help that as an operation. So he’s not going to miss one right and pull the next one left because he’s going to overreact.”
(Who would be your special teams MVP this season and why? And if it’s K Jason Sanders, who would be No. 2?) – “Yeah, I’m worried about today’s practice and getting some guys ready and then playing a game this week. The cumulation of the season, I’m not even close to that yet.”
(Another quick K Jason Sanders question. In 2020 he was just about the best kicker in the entire NFL, do you see him being back at that point?) – “I’ve always felt that he was in that group. Sometimes the results don’t equal that and that’s the nature of this beast, it’s all about the results. But I’ve felt and – I don’t know, you guys probably understand it – I’m his biggest supporter. I think he’s outstanding and I’m just very, very thankful and glad that he’s back having the success that we think he’s capable of.”
Mike McDaniel – December 24, 2024
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Tuesday, December 24, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(The decision on LB Bradley Chubb is what? Will Bradley be activated by the deadline?) – “With the deadline being tomorrow, we won’t activate him and it came down to this: trying to take away reps from guys that are playing well, Bradley (Chubb) takes that serious and he’s gone after the whole process so that he can be Bradley Chubb for this football team and he knows what that looks like. He’s been very patient in the process, very open-minded, had growth as the process went, but ultimately, we all decided that we didn’t think he would be able to be the player that he expects, that we all expect and just needed a little bit more time that unfortunately the season couldn’t offer us. He’s still all in it, and he was disappointed but also understands the big picture at stake and is going to make sure that when he’s on the field for the Dolphins, that everyone feels the player that he knows he is.”
(What about CB Kendall Fuller? Yesterday you said you needed to see how today went.) – “It’s kind of a week-to-week thing. It doesn’t look like he’ll be able to play this game, but keep an open mind for the following.”
(As the regular season winds down, how do you keep the team focused or as you face a team that’s looking to play the Grinch role and with the youngest NFL player who has 100 sacks in NFL history?) – “This team, what they’ve really gone through and fought for, it’s not a difficult task seeing how we have, to us, a one-game season and our chances at the playoffs are at stake. That has been a driving force – really is for our locker room and our coaching staff, really wants to play the type of football that we felt like we fell short of at portions of the season. I thought that formula, just looking at what today offers, what we’re preparing for and immersing yourself in the Browns, I think that’s what we did last week with the 49ers and as a result, guys were ultimately very prepared to play the type of football that they expect to play. Those results were earned, not given, and I think that’s the biggest thing is we have a standard with which we want to play football together. There’s a lot of guys that really care about each other. Everybody in the NFL knows that in the current orchestration of the salary cap, that teams are always different from year to year. And a lot of guys get to experience continuity, but then things change. So the relationships, the months of work; nobody on this team wants to leave the whole process unfinished. So for us to make right by some of the lessons of the season, we have no choice but to put our best foot forward and that starts with today’s preparation and practice and moves on to the rest of the week. So my expectation is that we have nothing short of preparation and tonality that was similar to last game, if not more, as we continue to build upon some of the successes that we’ve had in our phases and put together a complete team win.”
(What role did the uncertainty about the postseason play in the decision to not activate LB Bradley Chubb? Like if you guys had already clinched a spot, would you be more open to it?) – “No, it was very cut-and-dry. I don’t feel comfortable ever throwing a towel in; these are people’s football dreams and I just know the finality that is everybody’s career and how important each and every game needs to be and should be. So I wouldn’t have really felt right about trying to hedge any sort of bet because I think our mindset is to control the controllables and we aren’t eliminated, so we’re trying to make sure that we take advantage of that opportunity. It wasn’t really a factor in play. It was, ‘Bradley Chubb wants to play football; can he to his standard? Let’s see.’ He’s not ready to coach yet and he doesn’t want to be on the sideline, so I think took that very serious and the course of the season didn’t really play into it.”
(Was there any sort of like setback after he was designated to return because I’m assuming the team thought that he could make it back in that 21-day window? Did something happen that…?) – “No, it wasn’t that. You don’t have a crystal ball, and the only way that you can within the orchestration of the rules of even see to evaluate if you can play football, the only way you can play football is he has to have that window. I was very careful not to assess expectations to it because like we’ve talked about before, it was a big-time injury that took an absolute calendar year of strain and work to just get into that position. And I don’t think the process – although we’re not seeing him this year, it was very beneficial to be able to work through that. Now you’re not waiting an offseason with like, ‘what’s it going to be like,’ or ‘do I still…’ – he knows where he’s at right now and knows that he just has a little longer to build to get to his standard of play and standard of execution. So I think that it was a little unknown to be quite honest when he started just because you don’t know unless you try and it wasn’t a failure or setback; it was just the nature of the injury and how his body has responded. It was every day getting better. We just hoped it would go a little further than it did.”
(Upon reviewing the film, what was your evaluation of OL Isaiah Wynn’s snaps and could he be ready for a fulltime role back at right guard?) – “I was very proud, happy for Isaiah (Wynn). That’s another guy that’s – he’s worked relentlessly for that opportunity. I thought both he and Liam (Eichenberg) did a phenomenal job in the rotation process. I thought that helped him execute at a level I think he was proud of and we were very proud of, and I also think it helped Liam’s game. I think they are both very important contributors to our offense, and I think their ability to execute against the matchups this week will kind of dictate how we go about it. But overall, I was fired up that I thought the rotation served the offense and them individually very well.”
(You mentioned that it seemed to help them each. Was it like an iron sharpens iron type of situation? How specifically does it help them?) – “First of all, Liam (Eichenberg) has been battling things all season, so to be able to be a little bit fresher at the point of attack was beneficial. I think it’s been a minute since Isaiah (Wynn) has played football, so being able to go out on two consecutive drives and then kind of absorb what’s going on in the game and have a little extra time to focus on the technique and fundamentals. Especially given the opponent where their defensive techniques, they’re one of the most subbed defensive lines because of their launch technique and how they’re pass rushing every play, that’s a difficult thing to keep up with these fresh line changes, so I think that kind of gave them a competitive advantage, as well the natural inherent competitors that they are. It keeps your competitive urge going on top of all the other reasons, because you’re trying to make right of your opportunities knowing that you have another starting lineman that’s going to come in and have similar opportunities. I think all the things played a part that I though overall we got very good play from our right guard spot from the whole game, and that has to do with how they attacked all of that.”
(Will that rotation be in play on Sunday?) – “We have a practice in front of us and we’ll see how that goes. We’ll progress with the week and who knows? We might play Isaiah Wynn as X receiver, you just never know. (laughter)”
(I know this is not an indictment of RB Jaylen Wright, but can you take us inside the decision to work in RB Raheem Mostert more and to use RB Jeff Wilson Jr. in short yardage? Is it just trusting guys who have been productive for you for years? What went into each decision, Raheem and Jeff Wilson?) – “You’re trying to stay connected with your locker room and beyond that the individuals and just the way they are practicing, the natural competitive spirit that’s brought out by playing a team that you know with a lot of guys that were former teammates of yours. Definitely Jaylen (Wright) is ready to contribute, and we have a lot of really high caliber running backs on this team. For that game, it made the most sense with the ammunition that we had to facilitate it that way. Kind of going into the game, we had him active for a reason but I did know that I wanted to give those guys an opportunity and see what they did with it and they seized the moment. I thought Raheem (Mostert) played very well, was hard to tackle, and I thought Jeff (Wilson Jr.) did a phenomenal job when given the opportunity. On top of that De’Von (Achane) had one of his best games since he’s been here, so it’s a matter of circumstance. He’s well aware it’s not if but when, and any given week it could be his opportunity so he has to be prepared.”
(One quick follow up just on that. With RB Jeff Wilson Jr., we know how tough he is. Had you been tempted before Sunday this year to use him in short yardage? I know the roster decisions with special teams, but was that something that was tempting you before Sunday to use him – keep him active – use him in short yardage?) – “Yeah and there’s also things that my history with Jeff (Wilson Jr.), there’s certain types of concepts that I know he has a really, really good feel for, specifically in short yardage situations. We’ve done that in the past; we’ve done that last year. This game, based upon his practice, what he had done in the game the week previous – he got two carries – so had a ton of confidence to put him in in those moments. You’re always weighing the momentum of the game. In short yardage, you are handing the ball to somebody and you have to have reasons to hand a player that is out of routine – you have to be very compelled to put him in there and say, ‘Hey, I know you haven’t been in but the whole drive and points hinge on you getting this yard. Here you go.’ I think Jeff is built for that. I think he executed in a phenomenal fashion and gave us more reason to incorporate him in different ways this week – the only week that exists.”
(You spent one year in Cleveland, but I feel like it may have been a formative one for you in your coaching career. What did you learn there and if you have any stories of being on the same staff as Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver for the first time?) – “You always learn a ton as a coach when you’re a part of the Year 1 with a staff – a head coach’s first year – just because nothing can be assumed and you have to have reasons of why you do everything from scheduling to how you do practice and all that. So with regard to that, bare minimum, that’s very beneficial. For me, personally, it was my – I’d been a receiver coach for one year in a place that I kind of grew into that position in Washington, so going there as a receiver coach, that was a big deal. I got some added run game game planning responsibilities that year, so that was a big deal for me too. And then I had no idea about Cleveland, just the city in general. Although I was only there for one year, I loved the city. The people there are phenomenal, and you want to talk about people that appreciate a 65-degree day – in the springtime in April, 65 hits and everyone’s treating it like it’s 95. I learned a lot about their fan base – very, very committed, cool fan base. It’s a cool stadium to play at, and ‘Weave’ (Defensive Coordinator) Anthony Weaver) was awesome. Under Coach ‘Pett’ (Head Coach Mike Pettine), they were running a facilitation of that Rex Ryan defense, so practice was absolutely miserable. I think the first run play we had, we ran it into a corner blitz and it was wild. You’re always trying to gain stuff from each and every year. That year in particular, I learned an absolute ton, was around really good people, had a cool receiver room to work with. We had some successes, and that was cool to be a part of.”
(Going back to LB Bradley Chubb – not about Bradley – when talking about him, you said you didn’t want to take reps away from guys who were playing well. One of them I assume is LB Chop Robinson. Did you expect him to be able to make this kind of impact when you guys drafted him back in April?) – “Led by Chris (Grier), Chris had a ton of conviction – I felt the same. You don’t know what the first year is going to look like, we just felt very confident that he was going to be the type of player that could be an impact player at a position, specifically rushing the passer when everybody knows what rush you have and you’re trying to go for the quarterback. So to be able to execute in the big moments, pass rushers have to not be ready necessarily on second-and-7 in the second quarter; all eyes are on you on the last drive or the second to last drive when everybody knows it’s a pass. So you’re hopeful that he has the capability from a skill set and as a person, but rookie years are always unique just because it’s unchartered territory playing football for that long for these guys. So what’s been memorable about his year is that you talk about the ‘anti-rookie wall,’ he really started impacting the game the more and more he learned. I think that speaks to his daily diligence and his love for football because even some of the best competitors can fizzle out during the month of December just because they’ve played for eight more weeks than they’ve ever played football before. I think he’s been what we’ve expected, however there’s parts of his game-readiness and his ability to compete against vested veterans left and right that we were hopeful for, but he’s matched or maybe exceeded some of those expectations in that way.”
(Did his level of play have much impact on any decision with LB Bradley Chubb? Like if LB Chop Robinson maybe wasn’t playing as well as he is, would there be maybe more urgency to get –) – “That’s fair and it’s fair to ask – just like the season, no decision was made based upon anything but Bradley (Chubb). Again, bringing it back to – remember this is his career and don’t take that lightly. He’s worked very, very hard; we made that decision independent of where we’re at in the season or where we’re at with the roster.”
Jordyn Brooks – December 24, 2024
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Tuesday, December 24, 2024
LB Jordyn Brooks
(How are you doing after you came away with those knee and quad ailments last game?) – “I’m doing good. I’m doing well. Nothing serious, so I’m good.”
(What has this first season as a whole been like for you in Miami? The numbers you’re putting up and the being able to play in this Anthony Weaver defense?) – “It’s been good. Going through some adversity early in the season as a team, that can always be difficult. I feel like during the course of the season, it’s been a great first year getting to play with some of the guys I get to play with and then play in the system and scheme under Coach Weaver. He’s been great for us all year. I’ve been blessed all year to be here.”
(On the playoff possibilities. Do you follow the playoff possibilities? Do you know what you guys have to do, or do you just show up every day and work?) – “For me, it’s a mixture of both. I’ve got to see where we’re at to keep the belief alive and keep the belief going. I told the guys before the game last week, if the say there is 0.01% chance, then we fight for that chance because nobody knows what can happen. Everybody else outside could be like, ‘Oh, they’ve got no chance,’ but you don’t know who’s going to win that game or who’s going to lose that game and how it’s going to shape up. I think as a football player, you’ve got to think that way. I think as a man in general, you’ve got to think that way in life – having faith in anything that you do. For me, that’s how I approach it. The rest of my teammates know that’s how we got to approach each week. We’re still alive. Come to work each day preparing and expecting to make the playoffs and see how it all falls out.”
(I’m a fan of the LB Chop Robinson celebration. Where does that rank for you? Do you have some other favorite all time celebrations with teammates or just as an NFL fan?) – “I think earlier in the year, we were at a team dinner and Chop (Robinson) was kind of getting frustrated he wasn’t getting any sacks yet. I remember talking to him, I said, ‘Hey man, you just got to get your celebration ready.’ He was telling me, ‘I got one. I got one up my sleeve,’ and then the very next week, he ended up getting his first sack. He’s held on to it and it’s become a thing. I love his celebration. I don’t know where he got it from, but it fits him. It fits the name, it’s been great. Another one that I like that’s an all-time is Ray Lewis coming out the tunnel. That celebration is iconic, but Chop’s is definitely up there for sure.”
(To follow up on LB Chop Robinson, just talk to me about his development and his growth from the early days of preseason to now?) _ “I think just getting more comfortable with just being in this system, being around the vets, the coaches, everything. Being a rookie is hard to just go out there and start balling right away. Some do it, some don’t. For him, I don’t think it took him too long at all. It’s right on time for him to get going for us and for himself. I think the sky is the limit for him to keep going and playing at a high level.”
(Now that you’ve basically had almost a full season under Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver, I’ve enjoyed watching his defense, but I’m curious to hear from one of the leaders in the middle. How would you describe Coach Weaver’s first year here coordinating this defense?) – “I think it’s been outstanding. You guys get a chance to talk to him when you ask him questions, and you kind of can get a feel for his demeanor and his personality. I think that’s the way you got to be to coach men in this league. I think he’s a good mix of laugh and play with you and being dead serious at the same time. I think he’s got the respect of all the guys in the locker room. It makes you want to play hard for him, and I think that’s why as a defense we’ve had and the success that we’ve had, and we can be even better. I feel that he’s done a great job coming in here his first year, brining in a great system and coaching it up the right way with his assistant coaches and all that. And really just earning the respect from everybody, holding every man accountable, that’s the type of things that I love about a coach. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Coach Weave.”
(What do you think the offensive line gets out of OL Isaiah Wynn when he’s in the lineup? If you’ve gone up against the first team line in practice or just watched him, what do you think he provides as a blocker?) – “I think he’s great. We get a chance to go against him at practice as he’s been ramping up getting back from injury. I think he gives us a boost, just his experience in the game and obviously his God-given ability. I’m excited for him to keep going and help us improve as an offense and an offensive line. The sky is the limit for him as well.”
(What defensive teammate that you didn’t know a lot about coming into this season your first year here that you’ve gained an extra appreciation for about how good they are, about how they work, something about them? I’m sure a lot of guys would fall into this category, but first couple of names that come to mind, I’d be curious?) – “The obvious one would probably be Zach (Sieler). I didn’t now much about Zach at all. Even when I first met him, I didn’t know who he was. But just being around him, our lockers being right by each other, really getting to know him outside of football, it’s no accident to why the success that he’s having right now. He was definitely a guy I wasn’t thinking about coming in, but definitely I gained a lot of respect for just by the way he played and works, his approach to the game. Yeah, it would definitely be Zach, no doubt.”
Chop Robinson – December 24, 2024
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Tuesday, December 24, 2024
LB Chop Robinson
(Even beyond all the good work you’re doing in the pass rush, obviously your deflection which prevented a touchdown was a huge play in the game Sunday. Is that something that you’ve always been good at? I know LB Emmanuel Ogbah has been at that over his career. Have you gotten tips from anyone on the team? Has it been emphasized to you by coaches or is that something you’ve always been cognizant of and good at?) – “Having guys like Calais (Campbell) and ‘E’ (Emmanuel Ogbah) and Zach (Sieler) on the d-line with those long arms and everything, every time somebody throws the ball in the air, we’re putting our hands up and most of the time, they get it down. Especially in the red zone or on the goal line, I knew we had to put our hands up because the ball was coming out quick. So I just did a move and then put my hand up and I tipped the ball and I didn’t realize it until I got on the sideline.”
(You need 3.0 sacks in the final two games to surpass LB Jaelan Phillips’ record for rookie sacks. Have you warned him that you are coming for his record?) – “No, I didn’t even know about the record. I don’t really focus on that. For me, it’s just taking it one day at a time, one game at a time.”
(I looked up a cool statistic. It says that you’re tied with Micah Parsons for pass rush win rate. Do you feel like you are meeting your expectations in terms of pass rush win rate?) – “Again, like I said, I don’t really pay attention to it. I just go out there and do my job, do what I can do to help the team out for a win.”
(No. 11 [LB Tyrel Dodson], No. 53 [LB Cam Goode] and No. 56 [LB Quinton Bell] all did the ‘Chop’ [celebration] with you, they were on the sideline, and some guys who I couldn’t identify, they were in sweatshirts. What was that like to have those guys participating, even though they were on the sideline?) – “I mean, it felt good. I made the play right by the sideline, so instead of going to the end zone or anything like that, I was like we might as well just do it all together, so I ran towards the sideline a little bit, and then we all hit it, and it felt good.”
(Going back to a previous question about getting your hands on a football, it seems like both times when we asked Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver or your teammates or different defensive coaches where Chop has come along the most, they talk about your hand usage. I’m curious if you could describe the progression of the way you use your hands as a rusher from the start of your rookie year to now and maybe if there’s a coach that has kind of helped you come along in that way, too.) – “Yeah, I mean just coming in here – especially what I was doing in college, beating guys with speed and then coming in here my rookie season and guys setting me different. I’m getting different pass sets, guys are grabbing me more, punching different, so I just had to learn from that from the first game when I started coming in. And then once I picked up on it, I was able to basically learn from it and use it against them, instead of just trying to use what I had to use. I had to use what they had against them, basically. And I would say Coach (Ryan) Crow. Just watching film with him all the time, all the vets in my room and just working after practice and just trusting the process.”
(I’m going something on cool moments that you’ve had in your rookie season, and correct me if I’m wrong, I think you told me that Tristan Wirfs in training camp, like you had a cool moment with him or it was cool going against him. And I think you said Aaron Rodgers might have said something to you. Can you tell me about those moments and have there been other moments, other guys who have said stuff to you or acknowledged you?) – “I mean those are two guys that are good at their position. You’ve got a guy who’s been in the league for a very long time and a quarterback that I’ve been watching since I was a kid, so just talking to those guys that I’ve been watching since I was a kid is a blessing, and I would say my next coolest moment was the Chop celebration that I hit on the sideline last game.”
(When things like that happen, on the drive home do you go, “Man, it’s great to be in the NFL?” Do those things stick with you? I guess they have to, right? It’s hard to just kind of dismiss stuff like that.) – “I mean yeah, they stick with me. I just thank God that I’m blessed to be in this position.”
Malik Washington – December 24, 2024
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Tuesday, December 24, 2024
WR Malik Washington
(QB Tua Tagovailoa spoke a little bit about all the routes on air and the time you guys put in together as quarterback and receiver as far as getting the timing of this offense down. I’m curious from your perspective if you could describe how that’s been for you, going way back to when you got drafted up until Week 17 here?) – “Yeah, I mean I think that’s huge. It’s really important for, one, especially us guys, our development with Tua (Tagovailoa) and getting on the same page. Just talking through some of the things, like whether the timing is off or maybe he needs us to turn our head a little bit faster or get through – run through this or something like that. So I think it’s been huge for us, especially with the guys that just got here.”
(If it’s a play that he doesn’t like or isn’t satisfied with, does he usually pull you aside and be like, “I need this, this and this from you,” or how do those conversations start?) – “Yeah, I mean just about every time if something happens where he feels like maybe we were a little off or he was a little off, something happened, he’ll do a good job of communicating with us and letting us know, ‘hey, maybe I need you to come a little bit flatter here,’ or something like that. He’ll give us a little encouragement and we’ll get it fixed.”
(I’m writing something on you as a tough guy, because I think you’re a tough guy and I’ve seen you take these big hits. I saw you blocking in goal line against Green Bay. Correct me if I’m wrong, didn’t I see you get a pancake block on Haason Reddick from the slot, didn’t you knock him down?) – “I got to think back. I’ve done a couple, put some guys on the ground and stuff like that. I’ve tried my best to show up in the run game.”
(Exactly, exactly. So tell me, do you consider yourself a tough player and if so, why? Give me evidence like that of why you consider yourself a tough player.) – “I think toughness for me is more of a mindset than anything. That’s just my style of play since I was a young player – just kind of playing through anything, being able to go out there and not see size, not see speed, not see any of those things, just play the game of football as physical as you can. And so I think for me, when you’re in moments where maybe I’m matched up against a linebacker and I got to go make that block, or maybe I’m on the edge and I need spring something for one of my guys, I think that shows true toughness when you’re able to do the things that maybe you don’t have the advantage there, and you’re still willing to go do it.”
(Do you consider yourself a good run blocker? Because I do see you making plays in the run game.) – “I think that was, especially coming out of college, that was one of my weaknesses, just in the blocking game and that’s just something I’ve really honed on this offseason. That’s something I’ve put at the forefront because I knew that’s how you make an NFL roster, especially when you’re coming in – especially as a late draft pick, that’s how you make an NFL roster. So trying to get better and better as those things, and I think there’s been some growth and I’m proud of the growth that’s taking place.”
(One thing I meant to ask you when a few of us spoke to you at your locker on Friday was as the ACC’s best receiver last year, a guy with 110 catches, to go sixth-round, 184th overall, is there something in the draft process that you heard was a concern about you from NFL teams? Be it size, be it blocking as you said – was there one thing that has driven you this year to show people, “I can do this well, I should not have been a late third day pick with my resume?”) – “I think a lot of guys ended up unhappy on draft day, whether their name was called late or not called at all. I tried not to think of it that way, I tried to understand that whenever I was picked is when I was picked and what I do from there is my response and that’s how I’m going to carry myself. Obviously, would have loved to be picked earlier. That would have been great, but I wasn’t and so I’ve just tried to take in that and use that as kind of fuel to keep pushing and show others it doesn’t matter when you’re picked, it matters when you get there and what you do when you get there.”
(Just was curious about your maturity. Everybody says how mature you are, and even that answer that you just gave – like I asked Draymond Green a question about his draft stock, and he gave the same exact answer when he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year. I say that because you obviously have a very mature approach, and so I’m just curious, have you always been that way from a kid? Or is this just something that you’ve just developed over time?) – “I think early on, especially when I was first starting out way back in high school, I was too busy dwelling on things that didn’t go my way and different things like that and I’ve kind of shifted my mindset. I had gotten hurt in high school and through that I had shifted my mindset a little bit with the process, my outlook on football, my outlook on everything that was going on. From there, I feel like I’ve kind of understood like, man like, it might not always be your moment, things might not always go your way, but the response that you have, who you are when things don’t go your way and how you take care of business afterwards shows your true character.”
(Just a quick follow up, you said you got hurt in high school. What was the injury?) – “I tore my ACL.”
(Oh wow. And how long were you out for?) – “I missed the remainder of the season, but I played my senior season.”
Isaiah Wynn – December 24, 2024
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Tuesday, December 24, 2024
OL Isaiah Wynn
(So I saw you got about half the reps at right guard – 51/49 split I saw with OL Liam Eichenberg – how did they go for you?) – “It went good. It definitely felt good being back out there with the team, being able to help contribute in any way, shape or form I can.”
(How did the idea of rotating come about? Have you ever been part of something like that and how comfortable would you feel now seeing maybe a full game’s worth of reps if called upon?) – “It was discussed earlier in the week so that was kind of the game plan that was discussed, so we just went out there and executed it. As far as how I feel coming back and all that, I feel great. So either way it goes, I’ll be ready whenever my name is called.”
(I just wanted to ask you, I believe you had a key block on that 50-yard run from RB De’Von Achane. I guess what did you see and just how good as an offensive lineman does it feel when you get a key block and one of your guys just breaks off for a 50-piece?) – “Any time we execute our blocks the way it’s supposed to be, that’s a great feeling. So being able to give our backs or whoever has the ball space and opportunity, that’s all they need. It’s not like they need a lot because of how talented they are, but definitely, it was a good feeling to seal that off on my side or wherever it was. But as a cohesive unit, everybody executed their block perfectly on that play for sure.”
(I’m doing something on Pro Bowl voting and Top 100 voting. You guys just recently voted for Pro Bowl I don’t know if you voted for Top 100, but I’m wondering the process – do you think players are comfortable making these decisions? Like are players aware enough of what’s going on around the league because I know you’re kind of tunnel vision. Are you comfortable in the voting process? Do you need help? How do you do it?) – “You see all the guys who perform well. Whether that’s it being broadcasted on the sports stations or whether it’s game film that you’re watching because when you break down film, you want two teams, two different teams. So that person you may be voting on may not be included in the team that you’re game planning for, but you do get to see that person. So that’s kind of how I go about it – what I’ve seen and what I think.”
(And here’s another weird question. Do players know everybody’s name because I know y’all know guys by number right? No. 95, No. 92 – do you know enough names do you think to make the Pro Bowl and Top 100 votes?) – “That goes back to my first answer. Once you see that guy on film, you may be like, ‘oh, that’s No. 95’ but then as you watch the film, you see No. 95, No. 95 some more; you’re like, ‘oh, I’ve got to know who he is.’ And then you find out his name through there, so I guess you kind of find out the name along with the number for sure.”
(I wanted to ask you from an offensive line perspective, what have you seen from the youngster LB Chop Robinson?) – “His progression has been crazy. Just to see where he started from when he came in, just to see him refining and honing on his skills. It’s scary. It’s scary to see how high his ceiling is so definitely looking forward to how he progresses throughout the rest of the season as well as following his career.”
(Two games left. Do you view this as an opportunity to kind of show the club that you should be resigned next year and kind of be in the mix for Dolphins starter?) – “I kind of don’t think too far ahead. We’ve got two games so really just one game and that’s this week. So that’s all I’m focused on and as I mentioned before, just trying to take advantage of any opportunity that I get to step out there on the field. Not too concerned about what the future holds.”
(I actually have a two-parter for you. The first one is I know you played pretty much every position across the offensive line since you got to the league, but this is the first time we saw you play at right guard in this system. I was curious how that transition was for you going from left side to right side?) – “It was a little bit of a transition, but only thing that changes is just the side of the line you’re on. So once I kind of got back in the swing of things, it was an easier transition once I got back in the swing of things.”
(And my follow-up is, initial impressions of playing alongside OL Aaron Brewer? He is some kind of athlete. I’m curious how that helps you do your job?) – “Oh man, ‘AB’ (Aaron Brewer) is a freak athlete. He gets the job done. He’s one of the guys who you can just ask him to do anything. I wouldn’t be surprised if they asked him to go catch a ball or run a route, but that’s ‘AB’ and then outside of that, he’s very intellectual. Very smart, very knowledgeable on offensive line play and defense-wise, so it’s a joy playing next to him. He’s one of the guys who you want to play next to and who you want to play for.”
Mike McDaniel – December 23, 2024
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Monday, December 23, 2024
Head Coach Mike McDaniel
(With CB Kendall Fuller, did he hopefully not suffer a torn ACL or anything that’ll end his season?) – “Yeah, hopeful enough to hopefully have some better information tomorrow. Still sifting through that but to really be clear, I’d have to follow back up tomorrow. I’m anticipating having some more information for you on him in particular.”
(Is there concern it could be very serious though?) – “No. Not to that degree, no.”
(LB Jordyn Brooks, he actually came in back late yesterday, would that portend well for how he’s doing with the quad and the knee and his ability to potentially play Sunday?) – “I think what plays in his favor is he’s a tough warrior anyway, but on top of that, I think he’s playing some of the best football of his career and so it’s going to be pretty difficult to keep him off the field. I know he’ll do any and everything and so I feel optimistic just based on that. Our experience with him is that he’s found a way to make himself available and particularly right now where he’s playing some really good ball.”
(I did some charting on first down runs. I think I had 18 for 130 [yards] for you guys. I’m curious, what type of impact does that have on your offense when you can run that successfully on first down?) – “I think having that as a weapon opens up not only what you can do on second down, but the types of coverages and fronts and just kind of dictates the terms and just kind of brings some equilibrium to how people defend us. We learned early in the season that people would play as conservative as possible until we made them pay. When teams are generally doing that, they’re light in their fit and when you can have success on first down in particular, it opens your playbook up for further first downs, or second-and-4, you can just kind of attack a little bit more and who you’re trying to get the ball to. So it’s a big part of what we’re trying to do, just in terms of how you can play on schedule football, how you can minimize really good pass rushers because pass rushers are neutralized the most when they’re not pass rushing, when they’re having to transition from a run fit to work into a pass rush that’s generally enough time for you to do thing things that the quarterback and the eligible position that you can really affect the game. So I think for what we’re trying to do, you’re trying to move the ball, have time of possession – which I think we had over 30 (minutes) – and not turn the ball over. A key element is that execution and success of the running game on first down.”
(I saw you get the game ball from Mr. Ross, how cool was that moment and just curious what are those conversations like after games with Mr. Ross whether it’s win or lose?) – “For me, it was so much about the team and knowing what collectively we’ve gone through to be able to put a game together like that in that moment. As a human being, it’s still the game was about the team, but it was nice to – I feel so fortunate to have an owner like Mr. Ross who’s so supportive, and then on top of that, he’s taken the time to consider your journey, regardless of if it’s on my mind or not. Just that thoughtfulness and that gesture, I mean who doesn’t want to work for someone like that. It was a really cool moment that I wasn’t anticipating, and I just appreciated his thoughtfulness in that regard, but the day was about what we’ve been working endlessly to have a three-phase game like that. A lot of the time, forecasting and having to rely on our own beliefs and putting those into motion and actually executing and getting the return on the investment; it was a big deal, and it was a fun day at the office for all of us.”
(A couple of questions about WR Tyreek Hill. Last night, he’s saying that he thinks he needs more practice time with QB Tua Tagovailoa. Does Tyreek’s wrist ailment make that a tough decision? Does that factor into the equation to you?) – “Absolutely. I think that’s part of what he was voicing his frustration on – battling through injuries and things is a part of the NFL process that makes practice participation, particularly for veteran players, a little more tricky. I think the biggest thing is identifying and being able to, individually, I can only go off of the information provided in terms of – it’s why you depend on the trust factor within this business, because I can’t feel for him. So then you try to do right by him as best you can and he wants to do the right thing as well. Sometimes game situations provide the clarity to you that, ‘Hey, I need more of this to be able to execute that.’ So then you find different ways. Sometimes that’s challenging based upon the recovery from a previous game, but what isn’t challenging in the National Football League that’s worth anything? Those are things that as teammates, players are trying to find the solution, obviously trying to – I think you guys have heard how much I value practice – so I think all of that, we’re all working together to try to get the right formula for execution on game day.”
(WR Tyreek Hill talked about his frustration. He said “guys in here know what I’ve been going through” – have you talked to him about that frustration? Have you felt the need to talk to him about that frustration?) – “The frustration is that Tyreek (Hill) is a competitor and he wants to be – his greatest self, competing on the football field. He really has a different level of competitor in him that he can’t help himself but go 100 miles an hour on the football field and loves to train. He’s always been known as a very deliberate, aggressive full-out practice player, so being able to utilize what he knows is his platform on this team as a captain and utilize his greatest strength which is his disposition as a competitor; that’s something that when he feels in certain weeks that he can’t do that, it takes something away from him. It’s a frustrating process and guys know that he doesn’t want to watch, he wants to play. So all of that is just an example of how the list of things that players go through in an NFL season; it’s not just showing up on Sunday and sometimes you have to take mental reps based upon the work week. Is it a short week? Was it an overtime game the week before? Did you have 11 targets and nine completions? Did we throw it to you over the middle 18 times? Whatever those things are, you have to find solutions and there’s always variables that make it complicated. The key is that guys know exactly what their motivation is, what they’re trying to do and when you fall short of exactly what you envisioned your execution to be like, you turn the page and you address the problem and sometimes you have to be creative. But I think ultimately Tyreek just has super high expectations for himself and I think he is unwavering in that because the responsibility he feels as one of the best players in the league at any position and certainly one of the best players on this team. I think there’s a lot that goes with that responsibility and that burden that he puts on himself and when you don’t get the results that you work for, you get frustrated and the great thing about Tyreek is that he’s a competitor and will not skirt around solutions and will work as best he can and you do what you can with the situation at hand. He’s playing through a ton of discomfort and guys recognize that and he’s one of the reasons why our team is able to compete through all the ups and downs of the season at this stage of the season because he’s a tone setter that a lot of guys match.”
(Will WR Jaylen Waddle practice this week?) – “I’m expecting to get absolutely everything from Jaylen Waddle that he can do. I’ve learned over time to not forecast with him, just his pain tolerance, his competitiveness. I’ve been talking to our head athletic trainer at length about making sure that we protect him from himself because he’s one of those guys that will try to will himself to performance. So we’ll see how the week progresses. I don’t really know exactly what it’ll look like at a couple positions, but at this point in the season, that’s old hat. You have a lot of people that are ready to contribute and you have to be able to adjust and we’ll take it day by day and see how it goes.”
(Have you and General Manager Chris Grier decided whether LB Bradley Chubb will be activated by Wednesday’s deadline?) – “What’s today?”
(Monday.) – “That’s a lifetime in the National Football League. Those conversations will be had in the immediate future. We haven’t tied the bow on that yet, but Bradley (Chubb) is working downstairs today and we will get to that point shortly.”
(It seems like CB Kader Kohou might be playing some of the best ball of his career at this point right now. Just curious what you can say about him, what he brings to the table every single day and how it translates to on-field performance?) – “He’s a prime example of a guy that had the intangibles to do what very few guys do and that’s contribute as an undrafted rookie, and with that, he kind of settled in on some expectations and with changes in the system and some injury stuff, he hasn’t always been satisfied with where he was at and he kept fighting. And I think just as of late, you can tell his teammates are rallying around his play because they know how important it is to him and they know how important he is to our defense and our team. When he’s playing well, he’s a coverage player that stops the ball in space like a linebacker. He has instincts and the toughness and just really the football awareness to do things in the run and pass game and nickel defense that is of primary importance. He’s at the point of attack a lot, so when his game is going, he not only makes plays but he affects his teammates both in as the corners and safeties as well as the linebackers. I couldn’t be happier for him because he’s battled through, like I said, some injuries and stuff and you can really feel the momentum of his game increasing and case in point, that interception was a clinic curl responsibility in Cover 2 that he read the quarterback’s eyes and played off the pass rush and the timing of the play, knew where the eligibles were but played fundamentals and technique the way that we would go clinic it in Phase 2. And when guys get production off of technique and fundamental work and are able to utilize it appropriately, it’s a big deal and it’s how you play sound and effective football. We know takeaways lead – plus/minus lead is the greatest indicator of wins and losses, so it was a big deal for our team and couldn’t have come at a bigger moment.”
(K Jason Sanders hitting the field goals that he’s hit, eight straight from 50-plus – how does that affect strategy as a head coach? How do you view the 50-yard field goal? Is it almost a sure thing and could you see yourself allowing Jason to attempt something from 60, 61, 62?) – “It’s a great point that you brought up because specifically the last field goal, the thought process and the play calling from my perspective was a direct result of my confidence in both Jason (Sanders) and our defense. Just having the ability to run time off the clock and make sure it was a running clock either forcing to use a timeout or leaking the time when you feel super confident that you are going to make it a touchdown game and then you feel super confident that the opposing offense is going to have a tough time going the length of the field and putting it in the end zone, you can play appropriate complementary ball and that’s what we’ve been striving for, but the play calling decision was a direct result of that conviction and confidence which allows teams to really have to do above and beyond to beat you. And that’s the way you want to be playing December football, is hedging your bet, taking calculated risks, but being able to lean on all three phases to get the W.”
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